California is on the west coast of North America. It is the largest U.S. state
by population, and the third largest by area. California offers something for
everyone: Southern California is home to such popular attractions as Disneyland,
Hollywood and the beaches in Malibu that inspired the television show Baywatch,
while the northern part of California offers the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the
hills of San Francisco, the vineyards of Napa Valley, and the capital,
Sacramento.

California varies greatly, ranging from the forested northern coastal regions to
the rugged interior mountains to the harsh southern desert. Sandwiched in the
center of California is the fertile Central Valley, home to a massive amount of
agriculture. California's border to the west is made up of a rugged coastline
along the Pacific Ocean. The coastal mountains rise up from the ocean and are
home to redwood trees in the northern half. The Central Valley bisects
California from north-to-south before giving way to the Sierra Nevada mountains,
home of Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and
other natural wonders.

California is a very diverse country with many ethnic groups. California has
large populations of people of varied backgrounds such as Mexican, Salvadoran,
Guatemalan, Armenian, Iranian, Jewish, Chinese, Russian, Filipino, Eastern
Indian, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, and Hmong. California
also has large populations of African Americans and Native Americans.
Californians have a wide variety of political views. The Central Valley and
Orange County tend to be more conservative, while the Los Angeles Metropolitan
Area (except for Orange County) and the San Francisco Bay area tend to be more
liberal.